Homeward Bound
by Rothelena
Summary: Post 3.23/24-Jane is set free due to justifiable homicide. He tries to change his life, but feels like a stranger wherever he goes. So where is it- home? Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Homeward Bound

_Post 3.23/24 „Strawberries and Cream"- I admit, the season´s finale shocked me pretty much and send me directly into temporary writer´s block. Jane is my favorite character, and I just don´t want to see him in prison- I simply can´t wait for September._

_So I wrote this story to calm myself a little bit. It´s M for adult themes._

_Please excuse my poor knowledge about the American law system- there´s no such thing as "justifiable homicide" in German law, so I allowed myself a little freedom with the court scene._

_Disclaimer: I don´t own "The Mentalist"…I just allow the show to inspire me._

_Summary: Jane is set free due to justifiable homicide. He tries to change his life, but feels like a stranger wherever he goes. So where is it- home?_

Chapter 1

Judge Ward´s face was stern and earnest. He had sighed so much during the ongoing trial that it felt almost ridiculous to do so again- he sighed nonetheless. Why did he always get the hard cases?

The room was frozen in anxious silence. Nobody said a word, everybody waited for the verdict. Only the defendant seemed at peace. He was quiet and subdued. Not once during his trial had he spoken up, not once had he shown tension or excitement. He´d been friendly. Polite. Utterly cooperative. He hadn´t tried to justify his deed. He´d just stated the facts. Calmly and accurately.

And now Judge Ward had to decide.

Finally he bent forward and looked Patrick Jane straight in the eye.

"Mr. Jane," he said, "you shot the…victim in cold blood. He had a weapon on him. You were working a case. And I´m convinced that when you took action you believed the man we know under the name of Red John would murder again. You acted in order to protect future victims from a dangerous serial killer, who had already murdered several innocents. I´m also convinced that I will never see you in this courtroom again- at least not in the place you occupy at this very moment. I know that you are no danger to anybody. So I will…" he sighed again,"… deem this case a justifiable homicide. Mr. Patrick Jane is to be set free immediately. The court is closed."

All hell broke loose.

People chatted and talked, Rigsby almost ran over and pulled Jane into a bear hug, Cho patted him on the back, visibly moved. VanPelt had tears of relief in her eyes. It was over- he was free.

Jane felt stunned. He couldn´t believe it- free? He´d never, ever reckoned with that. In his dark cell at night he´d even entertained thoughts about death penalty- he wasn´t scared. He was ready to die. And now- he was free. Just like that. His lawyer shook his hand vigorously, photographers flashed their cameras in his face, journalists bombarded him with questions, policemen congratulated him for finishing off law enforcements worst enemy…Jane felt tired and exhausted, he just wanted to be alone.

Nobody noticed a tiny, dark-haired woman in the shadows. Nobody saw her tears, the longing in her eyes. She turned and disappeared like a ghost from the crowded courtroom- fleeing the man who was the center of attention.

XXMentalistXX

Lisbon had been there. Every single day. She had stayed in the back row, never showing her face, taking care that he couldn´t see her. She´d watched him scan the room before he sat down every day- she knew he was looking for her. But she didn´t want to be found, so she´d ducked behind the guy in front of her- the courtroom was always crowded. Every day she´d seen the defeat in his eyes, the disappointment on his beautiful face. It had hurt to see him like this.

She watched his slim back all the time, the clean golden curls above his collar, desperate longing tearing at her heart.

She had relived the moment she´d been shot over and over again…his concern, his worry, his desperate, panting breath over the telephone- he´d feared for her, so much. And she had sworn to herself: when she made it out of this mess, she would kiss him. She wanted to know what his skin tasted like. She´d never had the chance to find out.

And now, he was free. She could hardly believe it. She sat in her car for hours after the trial had ended, helpless, confused. She knew he wouldn´t, couldn´t come back. He possibly didn´t want to. He had killed his nemesis- he was disencumbered, now he could go on. Without the CBI. Without the team. Without her.

She bit back a sob. Hell, why did all this affect her so much? He had killed. Killed for revenge. Killed when all the years she had tried to keep him from becoming a murderer. She hadn´t succeeded. He had chosen Red John over her. And she had to cope with it.

Lisbon doubled over and started to cry quietly, resting her forehead against the steering wheel. She had lost him. She would never see him again.

_How´s that for a start? I try to update soon! Please, excuse all my mistakes…I hope you like the story so far. Please review- it´s VERY inspiring :D._


	2. Chapter 2

Homeward Bound

Chapter 2

It was almost evening when Jane was finally, blissfully alone.

He had collected his stuff from the county jail and stood in front of the large building- unsure of what to do now.

He simply didn´t know where to turn to.

First of all he went to the next ice cream parlor and tried to make his pick from a ridiculously huge choice of ice cream. After all these months in prison it felt hard to decide for himself. What was it he truly wanted?

He settled on cinnamon at last and sat down with his ice cream on a bench in the sunshine, close to a nice little park.

Hmmmm- the treat smelled delicious. The sweet, warm scent, spicy, cosy, energetic, reminded him of- agent Lisbon. He remembered the case they´d solved when he´d been temporarily blind. He had touched her face and she had smelled like cinnamon…wrapping his nostrils in pure sweetness, urging him to come closer, to press his face against her neck, touch her pulse point with his tongue…slant his lips across her soft white skin, kissing, sucking, licking…he suddenly noticed that he lapped at his ice cream in a rather obscene way and smiled slightly to himself. At least his…masculine senses seemed to be intact after all this years. He hadn´t had indecent fantasies for quite a while.

Hell, what now?

He sat on the bench till darkness fell, quietly musing his options.

XXMentalistXX

He got busy the next couple of weeks.

The house in Malibu went on the market immediately. But he was sick of hotels, so he started searching for a new domicile. Eventually he found a small, well-kept beach bungalow with a spectacular view over the ocean- he could afford it from the Malibu villa´s sale, so he bought it without thinking too long.

He had no furniture, so he purchased a rather large bed (no bunks for him anymore), a closet and a table with matching chairs for the kitchen. Then he took his time to find the perfect couch- in the end, it wasn´t really perfect, but a close call. He got two deck chairs and a very small table for his porch and a cupboard for his books.

He thought about changing his style…he went shopping and tried every pair of jeans he could find before he realized that he simply couldn´t stand them- too heavy on his frame, the fabric too rough for his liking. T-shirts were too skimpy- he almost felt naked when he wore them. And he disliked the way they emphasized his biceps and pectorals- his muscles weren´t that spectacular, but he found them too bulbous in the close-fitting, short-sleeved shirts. He hated to look like a hunk.

So he went to his favorite tailor instead and ordered some new suits with matching vests. He thought about buying some fancy shirts in flashy colors, but found he looked ridiculous in turquoise or dark red. So he chose the usual unobtrusive shades of white and light blue.

One night he found himself in front of the bathroom mirror, twiddling with his wedding band. He should take it off, he knew it. This was a new life. He would never forget his family, love them forever. The nightmares hadn´t stopped, the guilt still tore at his heart. He was unbearably lonely. But he had to move on. To whatever. Something…different than just suffering.

He fought a fierce battle with himself for hours. And finally took the ring of with a vehement, quick motion.

But when he dined in a restaurant that evening and several attractive women tried to flirt with him, he suddenly felt suffocated, unbelievably scared, vulnerable, defenseless- he fled from his table, raced home and put the wedding band back on immediately.

This night, his nightmares were especially bad. Blood and gore everywhere, his wife´s toenails painted in her own blood. The smiling face on the wall. He woke up with a scream, his body coated in sweat. He ran to the bathroom and threw up, his stomach clenching painfully again and again until it was completely empty. He curled in front of the toilet and cried for hours.

He still felt sick the next morning. He sat on the porch, wrapped in a thick blanket despite the warm sunshine, watching the waves lapping at the beach.

He felt lost.

Suddenly he sensed a presence behind him and turned- The corners of his mouth curled upward before a full-fledged smile lit his features.

Madeleine Hightower answered with a smile of her own.

"How nice of you to come for a visit.", Jane said, "Please, have a seat, Madeleine."

His voice sounded raspy to his own ears- how long had it been since he had talked to somebody? He always seemed to be alone these days.

Hightower sat down.

"Well," Jane smiled, "how are things at the CBI?"

"Fine," she answered, her face a model of calm, "how are things here?"

He knew he should possibly lie to her. But after all that had happened, he found he just couldn´t. So he stayed silent, his smile still firmly in place. She unmasked the truth when he looked at her. She immediately saw the pain in his eyes, the woebegone , forlorn desperation hidden in their depths. He was like a small boy who wanted to go home and couldn´t find his way.

"You know," she said quietly, "you could always come back."

"Meh," he answered," you know I can´t. She wouldn´t have me. She never saw me in prison, she didn´t even attend the trial."

"Just because you didn´t see her, it doesn´t mean she hasn´t been there."

The smile vanished from his face. He was stunned- the thought that Lisbon had been there after all left him speechless. How had she managed to hide from him? He had looked for her every day. Longed for her to be there, to give him strength.

"Promise me something, Patrick.", Hightower said, putting her hand on his arm, "When the pain gets too strong, turn to us. We are your friends- every single one of us. We´ll find a way."

She lightly patted his arm, got up and left.

Jane sat alone in the growing darkness. He still had no idea what he should do now.

XXMentalistXX

Some hours later he lay in his bed, painful sobs wracking his body. Another nightmare had woken him, now the sweat cooled on his body and he shivered violently.

He found himself whispering her name, crying out for her. Lisbon. Come here and take me home.

Nothing had changed. He was lonely and sad, he had nothing left that was worth going on- nothing except his sweet memories of her. And she wouldn´t have him back. She wouldn´t see him. She had extinguished him from her life. He cried unconsolably. He hadn´t cried in years- but he simply couldn´t stop these days. He had lost everything. And nobody was there to protect him.

His life was gone.

XXMentalistXX

Maybe he should travel- see something different. Head to new shores, so to say.

He decided to start with small steps. So he drove to Los Angeles one sunny morning to try out this new freedom of his. Maybe he should start over in a new city. Maybe somewhere abroad. Europe? He´d always wanted to see Italy. France. He could go anywhere. Reinvent himself.

His mood wasn´t bad when he started at his house close to Sacramento.

He did some sightseeing in L.A.. Had lunch at a very fancy restaurant. Tried to shop a little bit and found out that he simply couldn´t bear it.

He felt alien, unwelcome, his loneliness ate at him like a disease. He was a stranger, and he would be one at every place in the whole wide world. He couldn´t escape his loneliness. Couldn´t elude the pain or his fear.

He would always be a man who had lost his beloved family. Damaged goods. Bound to suffer. Deep inside he would always be a small little boy, trying to find someone who would take him home, longing to be held.

Lisbon.

He sobbed quietly. He would give everything to have her back in his life. Even if she just scowled at him. Even if she hated him with all her might. To see contempt in her eyes would be better than not to see her at all.

He raced to his car and drove back to his house on the beach.

Evening found him sitting on his porch. A storm was coming up, darkness started to obscure the sky, and Jane sat in the whipping wind.

And when he watched the waves crash against the beach under a sky full of angry grey clouds, Patrick Jane suddenly understood that there was just one place in the world where he truly felt at home: next to a fierce little dark-haired woman with huge green eyes and the sweetest pout he had ever seen. She was his home. And he missed her so much he hurt inside and out.

He allowed the tears to fall again. And he almost welcomed the searing pain that consumed his heart.

There was only one place where he wanted to be- and he had to get back there. At all costs.

_3__rd__ chapter is already in progress- thank you so much for your reviews and/or alerts!_


	3. Chapter 3

Homeward Bound

Chapter 3

Madeleine Hightower looked at Patrick Jane and smiled brightly. He was dressed to kill, his three-piece suit immaculate, his hair perfect, megawatt smile gleaming like pure sunshine. He looked fit and rested, full of energy, ready to take every challenge that crossed his way.

How could she resist taking him back?

"Agent Lisbon is not gonna like it", she smirked.

"I know.", Jane stated, smiling like mad.

"Of course, she has no real choice.", Hightower stated," I´m her boss, after all, and you, my friend, will close cases. That´s why we´re here, isn´t it?"

"Of course.", he beamed happily.

Hightower´s smile even deepened, and she shoved a wad of papers towards Jane.

"Sign here, ", she said ,"and welcome back as consultant of CBI´s Serious Crimes Unit. We´re so glad to have you. Our closing rate plummeted considerably since you´ve been gone."

"I thought so.", he chuckled while he signed the papers in all the mandatory places.

Hightower handed him his identification card, and Jane stroked it fondly with his thumb before clipping it on his vest-pocket. Right- it felt right. He sighed comfortably.

Hightower watched him.

"Okay, Mr. Jane," she sighed," let´s go into the lion´s den and tell agent Lisbon that you will join her team- again."

Excitement ran through him like an electric current. He hadn´t seen her in seven months- his yearning was so strong, he felt tears spring to his eyes. He quickly fought them back.

He would see her again. When he followed Hightower out of her office, his heart hummed with joy.

XXMentalistXX

„NO!", she screamed, jumping up from her chair,"No way in hell! I absolutely refuse to work with him! He´s a murderer, Madeleine! A cold-blooded killer! You can´t be serious about this- we can´t just pretend nothing happened and go back to business!"

"Teresa", Hightower stated," you know the facts- yes, he killed Red John in cold blood. But he is not a killer. The court deemed the whole thing a case of justifiable homicide- he´s a free man. And let´s be clear about this: I want him on your team, agent Lisbon. You know what happened to your closing rate after he left the team. He will be working with you- I can´t leave you a choice, I´m sorry."

Lisbon was absolutely livid. Jane, who stood quietly behind Hightower, could hardly suppress his smile. Hell, she was sweet when she was angry. How much he wanted to grab her and kiss her senseless…she would probably kill him. So maybe not a craving he should indulge right now.

She hated his guts with vigor…but she knew when the fight was over. Either she accepted Jane back or left the team herself.

Lisbon glared at him. How dare he to look so damn sexy? He was dressed to perfection in a brand-new three-piece suit that was clearly custom-made, it hugged his body in all the right places. His hair gleamed in the sunlight, his blond curls looking so soft, she yearned to touch them. His megawatt smile came on full force when she looked at him, his lips rosy-pale, so deliciously kissable. She looked at his hands…elegant, delicate hands with long, nimble fingers.

She hated him enough to kill him on the spot.

"Okay", Hightower said when Lisbon remained silent, glaring at her consultant without a further word, "that´s settled, then. I´ll leave you two to- talk."

She turned and left Lisbon´s office, closing the door behind her.

The tension was so strong , Lisbon almost couldn´t breathe. She sat down behind her desk and watched him out of fierce, wary eyes.

"I hate you.", she growled.

"I know.", he answered lightly.

"How could you do that, damn you?"

"You know I had to, Lisbon! I never lied to you. I´ve been clear about this: I find him, I kill him. And I did. You had been warned."

"You shattered the small amount of trust I had in you!"

He was silent for a moment, contemplating her words.

"I know.", he whispered quietly, "And the knowledge kills me."

Lisbon sighed.

"Why did you come back?", she asked .

"I feel at home here.", he stated, looking around at her desk, her couch- and finally at her," It´s where I belong."

"I can´t work with you", she blurted,"I don´t trust you."

"You will.", he said softly.

"NEVER!", she shouted.

Jane leant down until his face was mere inches from hers.

"Listen to me, Lisbon," he growled, his voice low and menacing," I want you. And I know you want me back. So believe me: I will do EVERYTHING to make you mine- no matter what it takes. No matter what you ever thought about my abilities- you have no idea how sexy and charming I can be when the chips are down. Believe me, honey- you don´t stand a chance against me. In the end you will trust me like you never thought possible before. And while I´m at it, I´ll close some cases for you- just to make my lady happy."

He pressed a tiny kiss on her nose and straightened.

Lisbon was too shocked to speak. He grinned triumphantly and went to the door. But before he left her office, he turned and opened another button on his shirt…very slowly, smiling seductively at her.

Now his shirt stood open to the top of his vest, showing quite a bit of his bare skin. Lisbon drudgingly choked a groan.

Jane smiled complacently, winked at her and left her office with a vigorous stride.

_Okay, patience is not my strong point, so I´m posting this now…can´t wait to hear what you´re thinking!_


	4. Chapter 4

Homeward Bound

Chapter 4

Jane woke up at five o´clock.

He jumped up immediately, whistling a happy tune. What a wonderful day.

He showered and decided to skip the shave today- his stubble was just right to give him a certain roguish look, he rather liked that, and it fit his purpose just fine.

He dressed carefully…the perfect shirt, the perfect suit. Finally he watched his reflection in the mirror and was content with the effect. He looked good. He opened another shirt button, though- his lady seemed to like that.

Poor Lisbon. She didn´t stand a chance. He smiled and left his house, humming happily.

He arrived at CBI headquarters well before six o´clock and found the bullpen still deserted. Perfect.

He laid down on his couch, closed his eyes- and waited for the object of his desire to arrive.

XXMentalistXX

Agent Lisbon stood in her office door and watched her consultant, who was sleeping on his couch.

Her eyes were wary and tired.

She didn´t want to wake him up. She´d rather ignore him completely- pretend he wasn´t there at all. But she…needed his help with this stupid case. She met one dead end after the other and had no idea how to solve the puzzle.

She groaned and strolled closer, stopping in front of the couch.

She looked at him, and her feelings hit her full force.

She still remembered her anguish at the trial- how she had longed to touch him, how she had missed him every day, how all the tears she´d swallowed had threatened to suffocate her.

Through her shock, the feelings of anger and betrayal, part of her had always wanted him to get free.

Prison was no place for him.

She shook her head. Damn her for this soft spot she still had for him- it made her vulnerable to his little games. But she wouldn´t give in.

If this…obnoxious pest thought he could still charm her after all he´d done, he was dead wrong.

She sighed.

But hell if he wasn´t pure eye candy on display, stretched out on his couch like that…

XXMentalistXX

Jane could almost hear her thoughts. He pretended to be asleep and carefully contained the smile that threatened to blossom on his features. He enjoyed the turmoil of emotions she endured standing next to him.

He would so have her…he felt her body heat, small waves of warmth that made his skin prickle with anticipation. He had missed her so much. Now he was whole again, no matter how much she glared and scowled at him.

He knew she wanted him. And it felt sooo good….

When she kicked against his couch, none too gently, he rejoiced inwardly. Let the games begin- brace yourself, sweet Lisbon, you´re in for a hell of a show…

XXMentalistXX

Jane yawned and stretched heartily, his back forming a perfect arch, slim hips pressed into the worn leather…he absentmindedly rubbed his legs together, the lower part of his body undulating, a lascivious sigh escaping his lips.

Lisbon gritted her teeth.

Jane stretched both arms out over his head which caused his shirt to slip from his waistband, so Lisbon caught quite a glimpse of his taut abdomen.

"Oops," he giggled and pushed the shirt back, which was even worse…his hands (damn, those beautiful hands) slid slowly over his body and inside his pants, shoving the shirt back with soft, sensual movements…

Lisbon involuntarily pressed her legs together.

"Jane!", she snapped, "Are you awake now? Can we get to work, dammit?"

He sat up slowly, moving his body like a big cat, tensing his muscles deliberately- his lips curled into his best, most blasting smile.

"Of course, Lisbon dear", he drawled, his voice low and raunchy, "I´m quite rested. And I had some interesting dreams…"

Again he rubbed his legs together, then spread them slightly, sighing softly.

Lisbon closed her eyes. Life suddenly felt like a journey to hell. Damn, she could already feel the heat…

XXMentalistXX

Jane looked at the file once and already had a strong hunch about the killer. Boring case- but almost over, just his luck.

Much more interesting were Lisbon´s reactions to his physical presence- she all but squirmed in her chair, wriggling her delectable little bottom while he studied the file…he decided to intensify her obvious discomfort and rubbed his chest casually, causing the collar of his shirt to diverge even further. He let his fingers dip beneath the fabric and moistened his lips with his tongue- very slowly.

Lisbon whimpered slightly, her breathing accelerated considerably.

Jane pushed his hand through his hair- Lisbon´s wide-eyed stare told him that this was exactly what she´d love to do.

"And?", she growled.

He smiled sweetly at her.

"Bring Finnegan in for interrogation, give me ten minutes to get a confession and", he snapped his fingers, "your precious case is closed."

"You skim through the file for about two minutes and know who did it?", she asked incredulously.

"That´s what you pay me for, isn´t it?", Jane beamed, pushing both arms up on the backrest, displaying his pectorals, "By the way- those photos in the file are great. You´d just have to look at them, and they would help you a lot- believe me."

Lisbon scowled at him.

"Cho leads the interrogation," she snarled, "you can assist, if you have to."

"Whatever you wish, Lisbon", he said amiably, flashing her another blinding smile.

He gyrated his hips against the couch, just slightly, but he saw her swallow visibly. When she walked away, he let his head fall back and sighed in triumph.

_Well, that one was fun to write- I hope they get back to the funny part of the show in season four…fast. Thank you so much for your reviews and alerts. They mean so much to me!_


	5. Chapter 5

Homeward Bound

Chapter 5

Grrrrrrrrrrr, he looked good enough to eat.

Jane smiled at his reflection in the mirror. Accompanying his flawless attire he had used his most expensive Eau de Toilette- not too much, just a whiff, but enough to accentuate his masculinity without being the slightest bit obtrusive. He chuckled. It was time for a little close combat today.

He smiled with glee when he got into his car. He couldn´t wait to be with his petite boss, sporting her most impressive glare.

Life was good.

XXMentalistXX

He talked VanPelt into bringing in a bowl of fresh strawberries he had bought, although it pained him to bother her with his frivolous plans- she had enough on her mind lately, still suffering from O´Loughlin´s betrayal and his death. The case had affected them all, badly. But he had to have Lisbon for his own sanity, and he couldn´t do it all by himself without raising suspicion. Lisbon was already leery, and she knew his ultimate goal, so he had to be vigilant. VanPelt agreed immediately, bless her.

He passed Lisbon´s office on his way to the bullpen and peeked inside, careful that she couldn´t see him. His beautiful little lady was there, and she looked adorable. Dark hair open on her shoulders, black pants that hugged her slim hips, and a teeny-weeny dark red T-shirt ….huuuh, very tight-fitting and therefore emphasizing her breasts.

Jane needed a second to compose himself in the hallway- he had to be completely in control for this little game. It would be a bad idea to walk inside with a clearly visible erection. But body feedback always worked…moments later he seemed calm and unaffected as usual.

The team met in the bullpen to discuss the ongoing case.

Lisbon eyed the blond consultant with deep distrust, but he just smiled at her. Damn, he could see her nipples through the fabric of this snug little shirt. Jane choked a gasp. Down, boy…

VanPelt dutifully put down the bowl of strawberries. Grateful for the distraction he delved into his schemes.

"Ooohhhh," he exalted, moving directly behind Lisbon," strawberries! What a wonderful idea, Grace!"

And Lisbon suddenly had a strong hunch of her own…

Jane leant over and contemplated the strawberries- the action brought him so close to Lisbon that his vest touched her face. She startled visibly, than grew stiff with shock. Jane took his time to chose the perfect fruit. Hell, she could smell him- clean, sensual, male. His hand lay on the back of her chair, touching her spine, while his slight movements caused his body to rub softly against her cheek and shoulder.

She cleared her throat.

Jane finally straightened, strawberry in his hand (the biggest one on display), and sat down next to Lisbon, watching her intently.

The rest of the team looked through their notes, Rigsby was mentally absent. Perfect.

"Well," Lisbon started, skimming through the file but finding herself unable to avoid Jane´s gaze for more than a few seconds, "yesterday´s interrogation…."

Jane extended the tip of his tongue and licked the strawberry.

"…brought us…"

He bit into the fruit slowly, wrapping his lips around it in a sensual, slow motion.

"…a….confession…."

A drop of red juice started to run down his chin while he chewed softly.

"…from…Mr…."

His eyes fluttered shut with bliss for a second, than opened to look at her with hooded bedroom eyes.

Lisbon´s voice sounded pretty hoarse when she spoke again. Cho grinned to himself.

"…Walter Finnegan…um…Jane, you have…strawberry juice…on your chin."

Jane lifted his hand slowly and wiped against the little trail of moisture then licked his finger clean- thoroughly, finally pushing it into his mouth to the second digit, sucking on it, then pulling it out with a small, wet sound.

"Thank you, Lisbon," he sighed, his voice low and sexy, "how thoughtful of you to call my attention to it."

Lisbon swallowed visibly, her lips trembling. Jane´s smile came on full force.

"Sooooo," Lisbon shook her head to clear her mind, "where were we? Oh yes, the confession! Walter Finnegan confessed yesterday and told us…"

Jane started to wriggle slightly in his chair, moving his hips as if he…stop it, Lisbon, just stop it!

"…where he has hidden…"

He straightened his pants with flat hands, rubbing softly, directly next to his….oooooooooh, damn, get a grip, Lisbon, NOW…

"…further evidence proving his guilt." She coughed, glad she had finally managed to stumble through the sentence.

"So- VanPelt, Rigsby, you collect this evidence. Then- the case is closed.", Lisbon jumped up and raced to the safety of her office, but was stopped by Rigsby.

"Äh, boss, shall we get the pizza on our way back?"

Lisbon turned and smiled nervously.

"Yes, good idea…do it!", she said as calmly as possible.

"Ohhh,"Jane exclaimed, "I have a wonderful bottle of wine to go with the pizza- you´ll love it!"

Lisbon all but ran into her office and closed the door behind her- damn…her face felt…hot. And she was sure it wore the matching color.

She shut the blinds, one by one, sure she would need the added privacy in the course of this awful workday.

How should she survive?

XXMentalistXX

So- closed case pizza. She had to get through this. Up to their noses in paperwork and eager to get home early, the team retreated to their desks with their slices of pizza. Jane had provided a bottle of wine and now sat on his couch, paper cup full of the delicious dark red liquid in his hand, watching Lisbon leaning against VanPelts desk, talking to her- or trying to do so, for Jane´s intent stare was pretty unnerving. He looked at her like a predator at its prey.

Finally she looked at him and froze when she saw the utter determination in his face. For the first time since he had promised to get her she doubted her ability to resist him. He was so…perfect. And he was dead set on seducing her. His eyes told her exactly what he would do to her, word for word. Her heart jumped in her chest, beating frantically, her body prickled with want.

And Jane never stopped to look into her eyes while he turned his hand and doused his vest and shirt with red wine.

He put on a great performance, but she expected no less. He jumped up in horror, cursing heartily, then stormed into her office.

She was shell-shocked for a moment, staring at VanPelt wide-eyed, before she regained her composure and followed him.

Jane alone inside her office was definitely bad news.

When she entered the room, Jane was just shedding his shirt. He was completely naked from the waist up.

"So sorry, Lisbon", he smiled, "I have a clean suit in the attic, but I had to get out of the wet clothes first- I hope you don´t mind."

Lisbon couldn´t have spoken when somebody had put a gun to her head. She stared at him in a mixture of terror and fascination, unable to form words.

Jane´s smile vanished. He stepped closer- so close he was almost touching her. He bowed down slowly, his face inches from hers, she felt his hot breath on her nose, her lips, everywhere, and still he came closer, closer, until there was just a whisper of space between them, she felt his hands against her waist, pulling her even closer, closer, and finally he was there, his lips touched hers, melted into her, and she knew she would lose the battle. Her hands slid over his firmly muscled chest, she felt him shudder with delight.

His tongue pushed against her lips, and she couldn´t resist- She opened her mouth and allowed him to invade her. He tasted sweet and hot, so delicious, tears sprang to her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed both hands into his glorious golden hair. He moaned and deepened the kiss, their tongues dueling, fighting, passion flared between them, and Jane allowed his thumbs to brush the underside of her breasts. Lisbon pressed closer, feeling the big, hard ridge of his…

Her eyes snapped open. What the hell was she doing here?

She put both hands against his chest and pushed him away. She leant against her desk, panting like mad, seeing stars, staring at him in shock. He looked her straight in the eye, outwardly calm. Stalemate.

Finally her anger resurfaced- he knew it would.

"How dare you!", she spat," I…I…I hate you!"

Jane laughed without humour. He came closer, forcing her to retreat further, but didn´t stop until he was almost touching her. He leant down until his lips came into a hint of contact with hers- he could almost taste her. She felt the heat of his skin, smelled his clean, sweet breath. She was frozen in terror and lust.

"If you insist on repeating this, Lisbon", he murmured, the movement finally causing their lips to touch, "next time- say it as if you mean it."

He straightened, grabbed his discarded clothes, gave her a final glance, then turned and left her office. Still shirtless, holding his sodden shirt in front of his crotch to hide his obvious arousal.

_As you possibly noticed, we´re reaching the M-sector now :D…thanks for your feedback, thank you so much! Chapter 6 is already in progress!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Sorry- this has to get serious now, or I won´t be able to make my point._

Homeward Bound

Chapter 6

Damn- now he was really excited.

Jane paced the attic, eventually resting his head against the cool windowpane.

He hated masturbation, it made him feel vulnerable and inordinate, he´d rather control his body with his capable mind, but damn if he didn´t have the hard-on of the century right now.

He hit the wall with his fist. He hadn´t been aroused in years. Many years. Never since… he sighed, burying his face in his hands. He had to get a grip, dress, and get back down there to work.

But he couldn´t stop fantasizing about Lisbon- how she would take care of his current state if she could have her way with him. He dressed hurriedly, cursing his foolish, aroused body.

Afterwards he spent 10 minutes to re-establish a modicum of self-control and fight down his erection. 10 minutes. Either he was getting old or Lisbon was just too sexy to be true. He chuckled. Okay…possibly the latter.

He remembered how she had kissed him back, her mouth so soft and pliant, her tongue…no no no no no, stop now, or he´d have to start again.

Damn, this game was harder to play than he had thought. He´d always managed to be cold as ice before when he had needed to- now he felt unprotected against his own feelings. He wanted her- she was everything he wanted. Without her he´d cease to be.

He´d just managed to brace himself when Cho opened the door.

"Jane", he said with his usual utter calm, "new case."

Jane tried a shaky smile and followed him down to the parking-lot.

Lisbon was already seated in her black SUV, stubbornly refusing to look at him when he got in next to her.

Her cheeks were still flushed slightly, the white skin of her neck tempted him to touch it, kiss it. He knew now how she felt in his arms, and he wanted more. Much more.

He tried to be of use to her when they inspected the crime scene, relieved to find his mind working perfectly, the pieces of the puzzle realigning in his head, almost without a conscious effort.

They unearthed a suspect- fast. Harmless guy, no record for anything, but Jane knew it was him in minutes. It took them half an hour to pull up at the curb of the man´s house.

Lisbon got out, followed by her agents, and strode briskly to the front door.

Then bullets started to fly.

Lisbon went down immediately, Rigsby managed to reach her and pull her to safety. Blood had already pooled beneath her body. Jane ducked behind the car, all thoughts gone, his face blank in terror.

Cho raced to the door as soon as the firing ceased for a moment, gun poised before him. He kicked the door in and entered the building, securing his environment carefully. He had the culprit overpowered, handcuffed and arrested in minutes.

When everything was silent, Jane straightened. His eyes were glued to Lisbon, cradled against Rigsby´s side, horribly pale, while the younger agent tried to stop her bleeding. VanPelt called 911 with trembling hands.

Jane couldn´t get closer, his body was numb with shock and anguish.

The hidden memories resurfaced full force. She had been shot directly before he had killed Red John. He had been there- on the phone. He remembered the paralyzing fear that had spread through his body, his harsh panting breaths, her gasps of pain…she had been injured, and he had pursued his vendetta nonetheless. He hadn´t been there for her.

He took a tentative step towards her but couldn´t go on.

And then he heard Lisbon speak.

"Jane?" she whispered, her pained voice weak, but he heard every word, "Is he alright?"

And his heart shattered into a million pieces.

XXMentalistXX

Patrick Jane sat in an uncomfortable plastic chair in the waiting area of an ugly hospital and felt like dying.

Cho and Rigsby were slouching on other chairs in the room. VanPelt paced the room. All of them were waiting.

Jane sighed. This was the wrong place, he wanted to be with Lisbon. But she was still in surgery, so it simply couldn´t be. Not knowing drove him insane- how bad was she injured? The bullet had hit her thigh, and she had lost a considerable amount of blood.

If she died, he would go away. Immediately. Without taking his things. He would live on the streets until death chose to take him. He would go insane.

He closed his eyes.

"Oh yeah," Rigsby sighed, "bullets to the thigh are a bitch. Nothing much to hurt but a big, pivotal artery. Especially in a tiny leg like Lisbon´s…it´s a killer, such an injury. Tzzing, and you´re gone. Really peachy."

"Rigsby", Cho said, noticing that Jane had just gone several shades paler, "Shut up."

Jane´s eyes stayed closed. A single tear ran over his face. His hand rubbed in tiny circles over his leg, as if he simply had to touch, but the right person wasn´t available.

Usually Cho was almost eerily calm. But Jane´s pain was palpable and so dominant in the room that he almost cringed.

Lisbon just couldn´t die. Without her, it would be game over for Jane.

A tired doctor strolled into the room from surgery, blood on his green attire, and Jane leapt to his feet in an instant.

"She´s…been lucky," the doctor said," help was there pretty fast. The artery was grazed, but not severed. She will be back on her feet in no time."

Jane almost hugged the surgeon, tears were blurring his vision. She would be alright- he hadn´t lost her!

Life presented him a new chance- a way home. He would start the journey today.

XXMentalistXX

He was allowed to watch beside her bed until she came out from anesthesia.

He looked at her with awe. She was so beautiful, his Lisbon. So,so beautiful…and so fragile. He touched her face, tracing her nose with his finger, her cheeks, her chin, and finally the pale lips. He wanted to kiss her again. He wanted it so much.

"Ah Lisbon," he sighed, chuckling slightly, "what have you done to me? I´m a mess. Completely out of control."

In this moment, she started to stir.

Jane stared at her wide-eyed and straightened, almost afraid that her first words to him would be "I hate you", but she opened her eyes and looked straight at him.

"Hey," she said, her voice small and raspy, but she smiled, and it felt to him like the sun rising after a year full of rain.

He didn´t know what to say, his heart was locked in his throat, his eyes brimmed with tears.

"I wasn´t there after you´d been shot last time", he whispered, his voice full of regret.

Her smile deepened.

"But you´re here now."

_Sorry this one wasn´t funny, but I had to get back to the serious part to make Jane acknowledge his feelings for Lisbon- and Lisbon see that she doesn´t hate him after all, of course. And I know: the poor girl gets shot at very often these days, but hey- that´s the job._

_So now I can ponder how I´m gonna reach the smutty part of this story –cause it´s there, believe me :D…_

_Thanks for your reviews! Very much!_


	7. Chapter 7

Homeward Bound

Chapter 7

Patrick Jane did something he´d never done before: he abandoned his mission.

He just found he couldn´t tease her, couldn´t play silly games with her feelings now that he had almost lost her- his hope, his love, his salvation.

So he retreated politely, although it hurt like mad.

He woke up in the morning only to find him touching himself, dreaming of Lisbon to relieve him from his painful erection. Tenderness and desire fought a constant battle in his heart. Most of the time he barely managed not to push her against the next wall and devour her right there, melting her to him, touching her, tasting her, sucking her, making himself believe that she really was still alive, that she hadn´t left him, hadn´t delivered him to a cold, perpetual night.

He would protect her as well as he could.

And he would solve her cases- playing mind-games only with suspects and witnesses.

His body wasn´t important- let it suffer, he would survive. Physical needs had never toppled him. To look at his precious love, annoyed as hell by his latest schemes, angry, sexy, alive, was enough for him to keep going on.

And he would go on- for her alone.

XXMentalistXX

„Jane, dammit", Lisbon snarled," if this great idea of yours had failed to unearth the killer, we would all be in deep shit by now! When will you ever stop playing risky games with us?"

"Uhmm", Jane said, killer smile flashing up like lightning, "why should I? It works every time, then you tell me off because I´ve been oh so irresponsible again, and everybody is happy- well, everybody besides the killer, of course."

Lisbon groaned. This man was a constant pain in her neck, and an idiot to top it off.

The third shirt button was closed. It always had been since she´d been released from hospital- she almost felt sad about it. His games had annoyed her like hell. But hey…he WAS sexy, and he had definitely managed to stir her desire. Stir it very much, in fact.

She smiled to herself. He had been so irresistible when he´d eaten this strawberry- damn, she had almost jumped him right at the table, in front of the whole team. Ripping his clothes off, baring his wonderful male body, straddling him and sinking down on his huge…

She shook her head- what was the matter with her?

His gaze, watching her intently, told her that he knew exactly what she´d been thinking- but when she looked at him he modestly averted his eyes.

Lisbon almost cursed. Why wouldn´t he fulfill his promise? Was she not attractive to him anymore after he´d seen her almost bleed to death?

A sad, cold feeling crept up inside her and squeezed her heart like an icy fist.

What if he really didn´t want her anymore?

XXMentalistXX

She looked out of her living room window. It was raining. What a fitting background for her dark, brooding thoughts, she felt cold and lonely and damn- she wanted Patrick Jane. She felt like a stubborn little girl, demanding the sweets she had been promised…she wanted, wanted, wanted him!

She wanted him to do like he had said he would- win her over, make her his, take her body and soul…she didn´t want him polite and nice, bringing her coffee, smiling harmlessly at her, being a proper gentleman- she wanted him bad and ruthless, naughty to the bones. It was just so unfair- first he got her all hot and bothered, and then he retreated courteously? She couldn´t accept that.

She stepped in front of the mirror, looking at her reflection. Her leg still hurt sometimes, but it wasn´t bad. She had a scar where the bullet had struck, but it didn´t bother her. She could walk without a limp now.

She looked at her face. When had senior special agent Teresa Lisbon ever given up without putting up a proper fight? When had she ever refrained from pursuing what she truly wanted?

She loved the stupid bastard. She had loved him longer than she could think. He had shattered her heart when he had killed Red John, when she hadn´t been able to save him from his devil-may-care attitude. But when she had been shot, her first thought was for him- she had been paralyzed with fear that he could be hurt. While she had bled on the pavement, she had been scared for him.

Yes. She loved him.

So would she give up? Would she accept defeat while Jane stood there and bowed low before her, always being so neat and trim and unobtrusive?

No. She definitely wouldn´t.

An almost cruel smile lit up her face.

You wait, Patrick Jane. Two can play this game.

XXMentalistXX

The next morning found at least two members of CBI´s Serious Crimes Unit in considerable distress.

Patrick Jane woke with a truly hurtful case of morning wood which had nothing to do with explainable anatomical circumstances but everything with a certain dark-haired team-leader, who had just devoured him passionately in his dreams.

And Teresa Lisbon had hardly slept due to some very inappropriate fantasies that involved her obnoxious but sexy-as-hell blond consultant and a can of whipped cream…

She got up, nonetheless ready to face the day.

Today she would pay him back. Today she would punish him. Today she would make his blood boil.

Maybe she wasn´t as good as he was when it came to playing games. But she could sure make things damned uncomfortable for him. She wasn´t fooled: she had seen him looking at her. His desire was still there, strong as ever, maybe even stronger, and she wouldn´t budge because of her stupid insecurities. She would win him. Why shouldn´t she?

But she had to overact a little bit- she picked a bright red lace bra with matching panties. The set screamed "Take me" and was therefore the perfect choice. And it pushed her small breasts slightly north, not so much that it was embarrassing (she had to work after all) but enough that two certain light-green eyes would surely notice. She smiled.

She couldn´t bring herself to wear a skirt (what if she had to tackle a suspect?), but donned black slacks and shirt instead. She opened enough buttons to display the top of the bra, which meant showing the top of her breasts as well. She could just close the shirt in case she had to see Madeleine Hightower. VanPelt and Rigsby would be a bit surprised- while Cho would possibly know exactly what she had in mind- but today that didn´t bother her. She was in love and felt more than a fraction naughty.

XXMentalistXX

Patrick Jane didn´t feel like breakfast.

It had taken him almost an hour to take care of the problems at hand. In the end his mind hadn´t failed him though dirty thoughts kept intruding, but it wasn´t nice. Hell, he had to keep a check on his emotions and find enough control to play his games when working a case- and all that with tempting Lisbon nearby. How long would he be able to manage?

Her chaste smile had to be enough to nourish him. Not that she smiled at him very often- most of the time she was annoyed as hell because of his unconventional methods when it came to solving her cases.

He sighed. He truly had no idea what he would do now. He couldn´t go on like this for much longer- if he tried he would soon have to disappear to the men´s room every fifteen minutes. And that was hardly professional.

Groaning in defeat, he got up without touching his cereals and prepared to go to work.

_Poor Jane- he thinks Lisbon is tempting? He has no idea what she pulls off in the next chapter…_

_Thanks so much for your encouragement! And please review…I´m thrilled to know what you think._


	8. Chapter 8 teaser

_A fair warning: from now on it gets pretty down and dirty, rating is really, really a clear loud M for ADULT THEMES- so if you don´t like that…better stop here._

_That chapter is very short, just a teaser in fact- to show you what to expect tomorrow. _

_And I apologize to agent Lisbon: after giving her quite a bit of power in chapter 7, I decided that I can´t allow her to best him. After all, he´s Patrick Jane._

Homeward bound

Chapter 8

Jane bought Lisbon´s favorite coffee mixture at Starbuck´s and entered the CBI building.

He went directly to her office, stepping in without knocking (he never did).

"No reason to get grumpy, Lisbon dear," he purred, "I have your…"

He stopped dead in his tracks.

Lisbon sat at her desk, legs propped up on the surface, studying a file.

And she wore…no, that couldn´t be true. He was still dreaming, wasn´t he?

Hell, he could see her breasts in this…red whiff of nothing- her breasts, for god´s sake, her round, creamy, firm, delectable, perfect…

He tried to say something, but couldn´t form words to save his life.

When he felt his manhood swell painfully he turned in horror and stormed out of her office.

Lisbon chuckled and sighed in contentment. Now, that went well…

XXMentalistXX

Jane stood in a locked toilet stall of the men´s room…the one located in the basement that was almost never used.

His face was flushed and he was panting heavily, sweat ran in rivulets down his body. His right arm was outstretched and pushed against the wall to brace himself. This time his mind had refused to cooperate- no wonder since Lisbon had posed in front of him like a sexy little fantasy come true. Hell, he was a mess, he´d even spattered his pants. He was disgusted with himself- this was just so…embarrassing.

He absolutely hated to lose control- and needing to jerk off in a toilet stall was the ultimate loss of control.

When he could breathe again without seeing stars, he closed his fly hurriedly and raced to the lift…thankfully he had fresh clothes in the attic. He could hardly enter the bullpen with those pants…he shuddered. My goodness, she drove him insane.

When he had changed, splattered his face with cold water and caught his breath, he started thinking- welcome back, great analytical mind, I missed you dearly.

It was more than definite that her attire hadn´t been chosen inadvertently. She knew exactly what those clothes did to him, the little minx. She knew how irresistible she was. What she didn´t know: he didn´t plan to resist her for very long.

He smiled. He would let her play and live up to his reputation. So what if he sat on the couch with a towering erection that tented his pants? He was Patrick Jane after all , he was expected to be a bad boy. And he would be a very, very bad boy…

Let´s see who will be more embarrassed by your little games, sweet Lisbon. Let´s see if you can tame the wild animal you set free.

He felt delighted. Because one thing was crystal clear : his orderly boss would never pull such a stunt if she wasn´t really, really hot for him. And that meant he would have her- soon.

_So-the battle continues. I try to update soon! Thanks for your Reviews and alerts- you always make my day!_


	9. Chapter 9

Homeward Bound

Chapter 9

Time for the team conference. Teresa Lisbon set the table while her colleagues still were out for lunch, laying out a summary of the ongoing case.

She sensed Patrick Jane enter the bullpen and looked up. And knew immediately that she was in trouble. The third button of his light blue shirt was open.

His eyes started to wander over her body, taking their time, he paused at her breasts and licked his lips, very, very slowly. Heat spread through Lisbon like a fever. She saw the unmistakable bulge in his pants- hell, he was huge. Her mouth watered.

Jane´s smile deepened. He lightly rubbed his hand over his arousal and closed his eyes for a few seconds. Lisbon´s knees started to buckle- This didn´t go as she had planned. But he didn´t show the slightest insecurity, not the tiniest hint of embarrassment. He displayed his body without shame.

She groaned. She couldn´t conquer the master. He played with her senses like a virtuoso.

VanPelt and Rigsby entered the bullpen, followed by Cho. Lisbon tried to clear her head but she could hardly focus on anything but the awesome male specimen posing before her eyes. Jane sauntered towards her, brushing her body with his while he passed her. He sent a gush of hot, sweet breath over her face, making her shiver with longing.

He sat down next to her, and she just hoped she could pretend to be calm and relaxed as long as the team was in the room. She desperately wanted to retreat to her office, but this wasn´t possible right now.

So she fought through the meeting, struggling with the sentences , all the time feeling Jane´s eyes glued to her face, her chest, his hands…oh my god…hidden beneath the table. She could almost feel his hips move, heard the tiny hitch in his breath, the soft panting, hardly discernible.

When the conference was finally over, Lisbon backed off without turning once. She entered her office, closed her eyes and was about to sigh in relief when she was pushed against the wall so hard it took her breath away. Jane was close, so unbelievably close, his face intense, menacing. He kicked the door close, the pane rattled, his hands went immediately to her breasts, cupping them, kneading, stroking- he wasn´t gentle, he was aflame. He pressed his rock hard erection into her abdomen, moving his hips relentlessly, rubbing against her, driving her insane with need.

"So," he growled, his soft lips almost touching hers, "what should we do now, hmm? I´d say we bring Keegan in for interrogation. He has means and motive and I have a strong hunch when it comes to him. Shall I tell you why?"

She nodded helplessly. Jane chuckled and ripped her shirt apart, sending the buttons flying.

"When you told the family about the murder, he was the one that wasn´t in shock- he was ashamed. He couldn´t even look at us."

He opened the front clasp of her bra and moaned heavily when he touched her bare breasts. Her nipples were hard, and he stroked them thoroughly- Lisbon had no idea how long she´d be able to remain upright.

He pressed his lips to her throat, sending a wave of lust and greed through her body.

"He´s guilty as hell," he murmured between kisses," and he is weak. Cho will have his confession in minutes."

He opened her pants while he bowed down to suck her right nipple into his mouth- he pushed his hand into her panties and found her soft core, carefully entering her with two fingers. When her knees buckled again he used his free arm to stabilize her. He kissed everywhere he could reach while his fingers drove her crazy. She had never in her whole life felt something like this. Her hands clutched at his shoulders, feeling his tense muscles, but she simply couldn´t get close enough. She wanted to wrap herself in him, she wanted to melt into his skin.

"I can also guess," he stated against her skin,"where he hid the murder weapon. While you interrogated his family he kept glancing at the back-door. I guess the weapon is buried in the yard."

He suddenly broke all contact, stepping back, pulling his hand from her pants.

"Maybe you should act fast," he whispered, "before he manages to dispose of it."

He lifted his fingers to his face and licked them clean- slowly, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Are you coming?", he said with a smile that bordered on cruel. Then he turned and left the office, ignoring his extremely prominent erection.

Lisbon released a pent up breath and sank to the floor.

XXMentalistXX

Jane said in the car next to her and felt like whistling.

He had been able to manage his arousal, enough to make him presentable. Lisbon had changed her shirt, buttoned-up to completion.

He would give her the best sex she´d had in her whole life. He had noticed how sensitive she was to him- she wanted him. So much it threatened to suffocate her.

He could smell her. Her desire, her sweet skin, her hot breath. The soft whiff of cinnamon. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, swallowing a chuckle.

Keegan would be brought down in an instant.

He had far more interesting prey to hunt.

XXMentalistXX

Minutes later he was checking Keegan´s backyard for the murder-weapon. He went straight to the shed he had noticed on their first visit- a well-kept little miniature home, it even had curtains. Somebody loved this place…and he´d known it was Keegan´s when he´d noticed the man´s shirt hanging inside through a window. The ground around the shelter had been raked up recently.

"Lisbon!", Jane shouted, and the boss came immediately, Cho in tow.

They found the murder-weapon buried directly next to the shed. Inside the little hut they secured the murder victim´s belongings…and her ring finger.

Keegan was arrested and didn´t put up a fight.

The team enjoyed their closed-case-pizza…everybody but Lisbon, who excused herself as soon as Keegan had confessed.

"Stomach bug", she told Cho apologetically.

"No problem, boss," he answered, "we are through anyway…go home and enjoy the weekend."

Jane scowled at her when she got her stuff and fled without another word.

Coward, he thought. You wait- I will catch you.

_Oh come on, Lisbon- how long do you hope to avoid the inevitable? I´m already working on the next chapter- thanks for your reviews, they keep me writing!_


	10. Chapter 10

Homeward Bound

Chapter 10

Coward, she thought.

Agent Lisbon looked out of her living-room window, watching the sun disappear behind the horizon.

Why had she run?

He had done nothing she hadn´t fantasized about. He had won the fight fair and honest- she chuckled. She had tried to beat him at his own game and found that she couldn´t- he was the master, nobody could best him.

When he had jumped her in her office she had almost lost her mind- it had been…amazing, raw, hot, and now her hunger for him felt like an addiction. She couldn´t let him go. She needed to have him. So why had she fled, scared, insecure, like a teenaged girl unable to handle the passion of the beast?

She felt so incompetent- she´d always been more of a tomboy, seduction was not her specialty, she wasn´t much when it came to female enchantment. She smiled. No problem for Patrick Jane, though- he was the perfect enticer, so alluring he had her blood boiling in no time.

So, what now? Would she deny herself the sweets because she didn´t know if she could digest them, or would she indulge her craving?

She went to her bedroom and undressed. She watched her reflection in the mirror, carefully stroking her skin. She was small- everything about her. Not voluptuous, not overtly feminine. She sighed. She was sure as hell completely different from Jane´s beautiful, irresistible wife. But he wanted her- didn´t he? She wanted him. Why was she so stupid? Why had she run when he was hers for the taking?

She was tired of games. She simply wanted to sleep in his arms- after hours of exhausting sex, of course. She chuckled. When Patrick Jane had proven one thing over the last few days, it was that her libido was completely intact.

But she felt more. She loved him. And she owed him the honesty. She couldn´t escape this thing between them. So she would stop playing. And start to behave like an adult. An adult who wanted it all.

She sighed again.

So what now?

She opened her closet and donned a simple white t-shirt with a plunging neckline. Then she put on a skirt. Short, pink, soft, the material flowing around her body like liquid.

No underwear.

XXMentalistXX

The moon was full, its silvery light cast mysterious shadows over Jane´s porch.

He sat in his deck chair, wrapped up in a blanket, a cup of tea next to him. A hug in a cup. Exactly what he needed right now.

The loneliness was back, consuming him slowly from the inside, and his frustration was a palpable presence.

She had loved him. When he´d been her first thought after a bullet had almost lacerated her thigh. When she had smiled at him after she came out of anesthesia. She had loved him then.

So why did she run away like a frightened little animal?

Was it possible that she didn´t love him like that? Maybe she just wanted a friend, not a lover- no, that wasn´t possible. She had tried to drive him insane (and almost managed) with this lacy red instrument of torture. And she ´d been so responsive when he´d…

He took a deep breath. Why had he stopped? He could have gone the whole nine yards then. But he hadn´t, because he had wanted to tease her. And now he ached for her, through and through. Now he was lonely and miserable and longed to be held. He wanted to belong. But she had pushed him away.

He sighed. He was so tired of their cat-and-mouse game. Tomorrow he would go to her and tell her that he loved her. That he wanted her, that next to her was the only place in the whole wide world where he felt at home- the only place where he wanted to be. And that he would solve millions of cases, no matter how boring, just to make her happy. And he would just hope that she could love him back.

"Meh, Lisbon," he called out to the ocean and to a woman who wasn´t there," how am I supposed to show you how much I love you when you run away from me?"

He sighed- when he suddenly heard a voice behind him that made his manhood swell in seconds.

"This time I won´t run."

_Sorry, it´s short…but it´s a good cliffhanger :D. Next chapter tomorrow. Thanks for your feedback! It´s wonderful to know that you like it so far…_


	11. Chapter 11

_So, ladies- __**M**__. As M as it gets, in fact :D. If you don´t like that- better back out._

Homeward Bound

Chapter 11

He turned, and Lisbon could only stifle a gasp.

His skin glowed in the pale moonlight, his face was so beautiful it hurt. She had resisted him until now? How the hell had she managed that?

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hey," she answered quietly, showing a calm she did not feel.

He smiled almost coyly.

"See anything you like?"

Lisbon´s smile lit her face like a beacon.

Jane felt his heart swell in his chest, the feelings so strong his throat constricted. My goodness, he loved her. He loved her with every cell of his being.

Lisbon came to him with slow, careful steps, then lowered herself so that she was straddling his thighs.

She looked at him with huge, watchful eyes.

"Yes," she purred,"I see something I like very much."

She put her hand on his face, touching him gently, memorizing every inch of his skin. He felt so soft. She sighed.

He was wrapped tightly in a plushy blanket, but his shoulders were bare.

"You are not wearing a shirt?" she asked incredulously.

His smile came on full force.

"Actually, I´m not wearing anything," he beamed, "just this blanket."

"Oh," she breathed, blushing slightly, "Why?"

He felt lightheaded with love. The flushed cheeks made her all the sweeter, he wanted to eat her up.

"I´m pretty sensitive today.", he said, "All my clothes felt too rough on my skin."

"You´re sensitive, hmm?", she teased, biting her lower lip, "What about my hands?"

She pushed her hands beneath the blanket, gently stroking the warm skin of his taut abdomen.

"Not rough.", he groaned," So soft. Wonderful…"

He threw his head back and Lisbon went straight for his throat. She pressed her lips to his neck and felt him shudder beneath her.

He moaned and thrust his hips up, pushing his rock hard length against her soft female flesh…she almost whimpered against his skin.

Jane's hands slid under her skirt, stroking her hip bones…he froze. She didn´t wear any panties!

"Um", he whispered, "you didn´t come here to talk, did you?"

She chuckled.

"Then don´t talk", she murmured.

"No dirty talking?", he pouted, but she could see the grin in his eyes.

"I allow some talk when you´re a good boy," she kissed his jaw, feeling the slight stubble there.

"My chances are slim then," he sighed, "I´m not known to be a good boy."

"Don´t worry,"she murmured against his lips, "I´ll tame you."

"In general?", he quipped with mock horror.

"In bed.", she answered and pressed her lips to his.

His mouth was soft and warm and so alluring she immediately pushed her tongue inside. He grabbed her hips and pushed her closer, wrapping his arms around her in a tight cocoon, kissing her with all that was in him, tongues dueling, igniting every nerve in her body, until she felt tears in her eyes. Her hands roamed his neck, his shoulders, his bare chest, and he moaned into her mouth. When they broke free at last both were panting with arousal.

"I can´t be tamed, my love," he rasped against her ear.

"I hope so." She whispered and claimed his mouth again.

No, she didn´t want him tame- she wanted this. The passion, the hunger, the helpless lust. She felt him lose control, felt how he followed her lips when she tried to pull away, felt his fingers dig into her flesh. He scratched her back with his fingernails, just lightly, but enough to warn her: he didn´t want to play. Tonight was just about consuming what was finally his.

Lisbon moaned and bucked under his hands. He smiled seductively.

"How rough, Lisbon?", he growled.

"Hard.", she answered, barely able to talk through her arousal, through the want that threatened to eat her up.

"Okay," he whispered, "then let me get you into a better position so that I can show you who's in command here."

Lisbon shuddered. Hell, he knew how to do this. Every word he said made the itching stronger, more painful, inescapable.

He managed to get up without losing his hold on her- he was much stronger than he looked in his three-piece suits, she felt the hard muscles tense in his arms and shoulders when he lifted her.

He carried her to his bedroom, teasing her with his lips, kissing, nipping, biting the soft skin at her throat. She felt the slight scratch of his teeth and melted into him. She would never be able to let him go again.

Jane all but hurled her on the bed and gave her the opportunity to look at him.

He was breathtaking. Surprisingly broad-shouldered, his whole body strong and respectably muscled, slim hips and his erection- her mouth watered. He was huge, she wouldn´t be able to span him with her hand. Just her luck that she´d never been into soft sex…that would hardly be possible with Patrick Jane.

He wasn´t nice with her clothes, pulled the skirt from her body in a rough, restless gesture, then quickly lost his patience with her shirt and simply ripped it apart. She gasped and tried to touch his impressive length, but he evaded her hands.

"No way, kitten," he growled, "my game now- you can play later."

He spread her legs as far as they could go, making her moan in an exquisite mixture of pleasure and pain, and brought his lips to her core. Lisbon screamed in arousal. One perfect stroke of his tongue and she came like blazes, her whole body convulsing in the throes of orgasm. But he wouldn´t relent. She tasted like heaven, and he just couldn´t stop, drinking her up, tasting her sweetness again and again, pushing his tongue inside her, gripping her thighs until his knuckles were white. She pushed both hands into his luscious hair, her climax went on and on, fueled by his merciless, teasing lips, and still he wouldn´t release her.

When his erection became too painful to bear, he reluctantly pulled back and pushed himself up, placing both arms on the sides of her head, surrounding her, caging her. He licked his lips, still hungry, still greedy for her.

He kissed her open lips, swallowed her panting breath, brushing the wet softness between her legs with his rock-hard manhood. Lisbon whimpered, helpless, needy, scared. Jane straightened and smiled- he had no mercy for his beautiful little minx today. He pushed her legs over his arms, opening her to completion.

"Brace yourself,"he hissed, towering above her, his voice hoarse with desire,"I won´t be gentle and careful."

Then he slammed into her with a thrust so deep and forceful she could almost feel him in her throat. She bucked beneath him and yelled on top of her lungs, stretched almost painfully, seething in a pleasure so acute it felt unbearable.

Jane mustered every ounce of self-control he had in him, using every biofeedback-trick he´d ever learned to keep himself from going over the edge then and there. Goodness, she was tight. So tight he could feel the clutch of her hot sheath everywhere in his body, it licked at his skin like a flame, and he groaned with the effort to pull himself together, closing his eyes to master the sensations.

But he managed. His mind won over his helplessly aroused body. He braced himself on his arms above her, panting into her face. She touched his waist with both hands, stroking, caressing, so tender and sweet, and he lost control- completely. He started thrusting as hard as he could, pushing deeper, deeper, spreading her even more for him, faster, faster, hunting for more pressure, more friction until he forgot everything, all thoughts gone from his mind, he was just feeling, feeling, consumed by pain, lust, pleasure beyond words.

His forceful, relentless thrusts pushed her into the mattress, and he wouldn't slow down, he plunged deeper, deeper, eyes closed, mouth open, a perfect O, and she wanted, needed to look at him, drown in his beauty, but her lids drifted shut, she was overcome by sensation, her body exploding beneath him.

Her walls convulsed around him, drawing a keening moan from his throat, the orgasm crashed over her like a giant wave, and she lost herself in the feeling, digging her fingernails into his straining shoulders. His sweat dripped onto her face, and she came more, and more, and still he thrust harder, faster, bending her legs so she could take him as deep as possible, and when her orgasm was over the next one started without giving her a chance to catch her breath.

Jane concentrated on his agony, refusing to give up. His body craved the release, fought to push him into oblivion, but he didn´t budge. He rammed himself inside her full force, felt her contractions around him, felt her come, and come, his face contorted with the sweetest pain he´d ever known. He´d wandered for years just to end here, in her embrace, melting into her, giving her everything he had, taking her without constraint, branding her as his. He pushed himself upright and lifted her hips, clutching her with both hands, and thrust even faster, harder, a growl erupting from the back of his throat, and suddenly he saw stars and felt her soft hands against his chest and he knew he was lost.

The climax almost ripped his guts out, he doubled over, tears springing to his eyes. She was still coming beneath him, her heart slamming against her ribcage, her tight walls milking him dry. He erupted inside her, his seed shooting into her in hot, consuming squirts, every muscle in his body tensed with the force of his release. It went on and on until he was completely, utterly spent, sobbing with exhaustion and relief, the pain gone. Deep, sweet satisfaction spread through his body. He felt her aftershocks around him, pleasurable little jolts of electricity, his hips moved lazily against hers, luring sated moans from her lips.

When she whispered his name, his tears started to fall.

_Weeeeelllll, how did I do? Okay? Thank you for sticking with this story. What´s missing? Oh yeah- the big emotions and the fluff. I´m already on it :D._

_Thanks for your feedback!_


	12. Chapter 12

Homeward Bound

Chapter 12

And he cried, and cried, his body shaking with his heaving sobs. She held him while he pressed his face to her chest, feeling her heartbeat thundering beneath his cheek. His tears wet her skin, his hands clutched her tightly, almost crushing her, but she didn´t mind. She felt boneless in his arms, every whiff of tension gone.

She just wanted to feel him. He was so warm, his skin coated with sweat, and she couldn´t stop touching him. She felt his panting breath in hot little puffs against her chest and hushed him with gentle strokes against his back.

Finally his tears subsided.

When she looked down she found him fast asleep. She smiled tenderly. Hell- he´d earned his sleep twenty times over. So she snagged the blanket that had almost fallen to the floor with her foot, covered their bodies with it, pressed a soft kiss on his head and closed her eyes, too.

XXMentalistXX

Lisbon woke to the strangest sensation.

When she opened her eyes and looked down, she found that Patrick Jane's head was still placed on her chest. He licked at her nipple, wetting it thoroughly with his nimble tongue, than blew on it, watching it pucker and rose with utter fascination. Lisbon gasped.

"You're so beautiful all over.", he whispered and looked at her.

His eyes were a pure, light green, piercing in their intensity, capturing her undivided attention. She touched his hair, finding it slightly damp, and smelled the trace of shampoo in his scent- he had showered. And he was so, so breathtakingly beautiful. She almost couldn´t breathe around her sharp admiration.

"Was it worth it?", she asked quietly,"Killing him? Was it worth it?"

"Yes.", he breathed, unwavering.

"Did it bring you peace?"

"No.", he answered, "You did."

Lisbon felt the tears, saw her vision blurring, sensed his hand touching her face, stopping the rivulets with his fingers.

"I'm so sorry for all the hurt I caused you," he murmured, "but I had no choice. I would have wasted my whole life punishing me for not killing him. But no- it didn´t make me whole again. I thought I could start a new life, become a different man- and found out that I still didn't fit anywhere. That I still had a hole in my chest the size of the Grand Canyon. They are not coming back...the hole will be there for the rest of my life. No matter what I do. But I´m not dead- and I have a new chance now. With you. A chance to find peace. I love you, Lisbon. Do you want my baby?"

"Whoa", Lisbon chuckled, but he could hear the tenderness in her voice, "you don't take any prisoners, do you?"

"I'll marry you," he said, smiling happily like a little boy, "do you have time in half an hour?"

Lisbon laughed, and the sound of it opened his heart- he felt the sunshine seep inside.

"Why don't we practice a little more before we start on this baby-thing?", she breathed.

"That´s a good idea", he beamed, covering her body with his, claiming her mouth with lips still hot from sleeping, whispering between soft kisses, "it takes a lot of practicing…maybe we should try …three to five times a day? At least?"

She smiled.

"You´d never manage five times," she giggled.

But she shuddered when she remembered the relentless energy he´d shown the previous evening- she was still sore from his vigorous lovemaking. He could possibly manage even more than five times.

"I consider that a challenge, Lisbon dear.", he said and plunged his tongue into her mouth.

Lisbon moaned. She just relished touching him, everywhere she could reach. Such a hard body, so much soft skin. Her hands traced every muscle, every crevice, every inch of him.

Jane groaned into her mouth, his kiss wild and passionate, his tongue invading her mercilessly…he was oh so hungry again, he just needed to have her again- and again. And again.

But Lisbon wasn´t ready to submit so easily this time. He'd promised her playtime- and she would have it. She broke the kiss and reveled in his obvious displeasure, using his momentary confusion and the fact that his outstretched arms supported most of his body to wriggle down beneath him…until her face was level with his murderous erection. Jane´s eyes snapped open- oh my, she wouldn't…

Of course she would. Really, Teresa Lisbon had never been a girl that denied herself anything sweet.

She licked her lips, feeling the wetness pool between her thighs. He smelled so delicious, clean, hot, all male- she placed a kiss on his hard length and felt him shudder. Hmmmm. She licked him slowly, letting her tongue slide over his taut skin, feeling the throbbing veins and the tremors of his luscious body. Jane pushed his face into the pillow, holding himself upright on his elbows, already panting with lust.

Lisbon smiled against his sex, placed a row of tiny kisses on him until she reached the very top of his impressive hard-on, then took him into her mouth without a fair warning. Jane growled like a wild animal, and she carefully used her teeth on him just to hear the sound again. She sucked on him, hard, and Jane started to see stars behind his closed eyes. Her hands slid over his firm buttocks and thighs, scratching him lightly, making him jerk beneath her fingers.

He tasted like heaven, she would never get enough of him.

Her tongue licked and played while her lips sucked on him, tasted, fed. She moaned deep in her throat, touching him to feel him tremble again and again, until he simply couldn´t take anymore. He pulled back, Lisbon almost cried out in disappointment.

Jane grabbed her and brought her up to his face, kissing her like a madman, before he flipped her over so that she lay on her stomach. Lisbon groaned when he bit her neck, utterly possessive.

"You're mine", he growled, and she sighed in surrender.

Jane straightened and pulled her up on all fours. He felt the mind-blowing lust filling every space in his mind, until he wasn´t capable of thought anymore. His erection was so hard it bordered on agony. There was only one way to silence the mad hunger.

He grabbed her slim waist and slammed home with one forceful thrust. Lisbon screamed, his massive erection stretching her so wide it felt like bursting, but pleasure overrode the moment of discomfiture.

He brought one knee up next to her hips and went even deeper, pounding into her full force, fast, hard, so deep she was almost choking with the sensations that gripped her body. She tried to meet his fierce thrusts, but couldn't keep pace with his vigorous movements. So she pushed her elbows into the mattress and simply braced herself against his forceful intrusion. Jane didn´t feel anything but her, he acted completely on instinct, held nothing back, got wild with her, aimed for maximum friction, maximum impact…he didn't want soft, languorous lovemaking, not now, now he just wanted to possess her, take her, brand her…mark her as his. She was his.

He felt her go into orgasm with another hoarse scream, her walls clutching him, and he moaned deep in his throat, sweating, panting, suddenly he felt something explode in his stomach and crashed over the edge, coming hard, and harder, his seed shooting into her body in waves of torturous need, and still she was contracting around him, milking him dry, more, more, Oh, more, until he had nothing left to spend. His whole body was shaking, his breathing ragged, he pushed a trembling hand through his hair, and already felt the blood rush back into his erection. Oh my, how was he supposed to survive this?

He pulled out, collapsing next to her, already half hard again.

Lisbon lay on her stomach, panting like mad, and turned her face to look at him.

"Well," she rasped, her voice hoarse from screaming, "looks like we stay in bed today, Hmmm?"

She touched his manhood carefully and felt him shiver violently.

"Sorry," he gasped, "I'm afraid that´s our only choice if we don't want me to die from need."

She came closer, wrapping her arm around his waist, pushing her nose against his neck, inhaling his wonderful scent.

"You apologize for being crazy about me?", she chuckled, "Hey, that´s sweet…"

"Oh yes," he groaned when her hand slid lower, stroking his buttocks, "I'm so hot, Teresa, I'm burning…"

She giggled when he turned her to lie on her back, then immediately brought his hips between her spread thighs. She gritted her teeth. He was fully erect again.

"So sorry," he apologized, "I have to take care of this or I´ll go insane…"

"Don´t worry," she whispered, voice trembling," just do your worst…"

And he did.

_Ahhh, sorry- I couldn´t resist here. I apologize for being bad. Uhmm…maybe the sappy-fluffy-happy-ending will be in the next chapter? We´ll see…_

_Thanks for your encouragement! It means a lot to me!_


	13. Chapter 13

Homeward Bound

Chapter 13

Jane used his tongue and lips between Lisbon´s thighs in his deckchair, making her come so often that her voice was hoarse from screaming afterwards.

Then he did her against the shower-wall, slamming in and out of her with fast, vigorous thrusts, hot water cascading down on them.

After breakfast they had hard sex on the kitchen counter, her legs wrapped around his waist.

Then he bent her over the sink in the bathroom and took her from behind, his eyes glued to hers in the mirror in front of them.

They decided to take a bath afterwards. Trying to behave themselves, Lisbon gave up after ten minutes and straddled him. She fisted her hands in his hair and pulled his head back, forcing him to look at her. She stifled a gasp. God, he was perfect. His luscious lips slightly open, releasing his breath in shallow, panting puffs, the piercing green eyes, that sometimes looked almost turquoise when the light changed, looking straight at her, he was too beautiful for words. And he was a true sex machine- she could already feel his erection swell against her lower abdomen. Again.

"Aren't you ever truly spent?", she groaned.

"With you," he breathed,"it seems that I just can't get my fill."

She kissed him, open-mouthed, sensual.

"I love you, Patrick Jane."

"And oh god- how much I love you back."

He claimed her mouth back, hungry, desperate, wild with greed.

Lisbon impaled herself on his member and swallowed his scream with her kiss. She started to move immediately, water sloshing around her, Jane groaned with abandon, grabbing her hips to pull her down harder on him. She let him, hell, she liked hard. Jane slammed his hips against hers, spilling the water over the brim of the tub, but both couldn´t care less. He kissed her throat, nipping at the soft skin, without slowing his movements, he felt her come apart, her body clenching in anticipation. He angled her hips slightly so his powerful thrusts rubbed his length against her most sensitive spot, and she came in an instant. He´d had so much sex already that he had no problems to control himself, he just closed his eyes and enjoyed the sexy ripples around him, her walls clutching him, so much that his hips bucked with the sensation.

When her tremors slowed he brought his hand between her legs , tugged her nipple into his mouth- and pushed her into multiple orgasm. He pounded into her, faster, deeper, more forceful, fueling her climax, making it go on and on…she clawed at his shoulders, leaving scratch marks there, and finally he couldn´t hold back any longer. He gritted his teeth and came into her orgasm, spilling his seed deep inside her, again, again, and more, more until he collapsed beneath her, gasping, fighting to suck air into his lungs. If this went on like that, she would give him a heart attack- he wasn´t sixteen anymore, for god´s sake!

He felt her tremors subside and caught her when she fell, placing her head on his chest. Both continued trying to catch their breath for several minutes.

"Let´s go to bed," she whispered, "I need a nap- now."

"Ohhh," he sighed, feigning disappointment when in fact he felt too tired to move. Ever. He chuckled when she slapped his chest.

They dried hurriedly and raced to his bed only to crash down immediately, completely exhausted. He gathered her in his arms, smiling when she snuggled close to his chest. He was awash with tenderness, with blinding love. He would never let her go.

She was already fast asleep when he covered them with the soft blanket. He pulled her closer against his body and fell asleep, too.

XXMentalistXX

When Lisbon woke up, Jane was gone.

The sun was already setting, bathing the room in golden light. She stretched and got up, knowing instinctively where he was.

He stood on the porch, stark naked, both hands on the balustrade, watching the sun sneak ever closer to the horizon.

She watched him for a moment. He was solemn, she could see that in his posture, and imagined his eyes wide with wonder.

Her heart skipped a beat. What a mess she was. She had fallen for him, hard.

He was Patrick Jane, for Chrissakes, most annoying consultant of the century. But damn if she didn´t love him more than her own life.

She came up behind him and wrapped her arm around his chest. He hardly reacted, so she wandered around to his side, looking at his eyes. He was staring at the sky, the quiet ocean, tiny waves lapping at the shore.

"Earth to Patrick Jane," she quipped, kissing his shoulder,"where exactly are you right now?"

He turned to look at her, and a smile blossomed on his face, so bright, so pure, so deeply blissful that tears sprang to her eyes.

"My love," he whispered, happiness coloring his voice," I´m home."

**THE END**

_So- sorry if I don´t drag that one on to eternity, but I like it if a story is just finished eventually. And my husband (who was already joking about Jane and Lisbon quarreling about who of them is to pick up the children from kindergarten- between bouts of glorious sex, of course) reminded me today that there´s a reason most romantic movies and books end at this point :D._

_I also apologize for pretty much putting Jane in command between the sheets this time- I decided to let him be the sole master of disaster. But LizfromItaly (whom I admire deeply) just gave me a pretty good idea about how "Crimson Pain" could go on ;)…_

_Thanks for your reviews and alerts- writing this story was wonderful, and you all have a big part in the fun._

_So I say Bye and hope I´ll meet some of you in "Crimson Pain"- the story I start to continue immediately._


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